September 1, 2016

Camp Hope

More than 30 former patients of the Vanderbilt Burn Center gathered at the Ridley 4-H Center in Columbia, Tennessee, recently for Camp Hope, a free annual event for pediatric burn survivors ages 6 to 16.

By VUMC News and Communications

Carnival Cruise Line’s “new exclusive destination” is officially welcoming guests who sailed in this morning on the Carnival Vista.

Celebration Key is now open in the Bahamas. It is the “first exclusive destination” for the brand, according to a media release, and “includes five portals of fun” that offer something for all ages of travelers.

“Celebration Key is a beautiful destination that I know will be extremely popular with our guests, but it’s also a beautiful representation of the great partnership between Carnival and the people of Grand Bahama,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement.

“This is the first major project to be completed on the island of Grand Bahama in 20 years or more, and we’re proud to be the cruise line to bring it to fruition,” she said. 

Following its grand opening celebration on Saturday, “the destination is set to welcome 20 Carnival ships from ten U.S. homeports,” Carnival said in a media release. 

The island is expected to bring about two million guests to Grand Bahama in its first year, contributing “significant revenue for the local economy,” Carnival said. 

Celebration Key includes a ten-story “Suncastle” at Paradise Plaza with two water slides, an “adult-friendly” place called Calypso Lagoon, a “familly-friendly portal” named Starfish Lagoon, a variety of stores in Lokono Cove and “an exclusive 18+ retreat” at Pearl Cove Beach Club. 

Carnival Vista departed Port Canaveral, Florida on July 12, according to cruise tracking website CruiseMapper. It will return to Port Canaveral on Sunday. 

Read more of this story from FOX Business. 

Ambassador Cruise Line is adjusting the current cruise of the Ambition to allow for the supply of additional fresh water.

The change affects the voyage that sailed from the British port of Newcastle on July 19, the company said in a social media update.

“Due to events beyond our control, we were not able to load the normal volume of fresh water in Newcastle at the beginning of the cruise,” Ambassador stated.

The company explained that the Ambition manufactures fresh water from the sea using evaporators and reverse osmosis equipment.

However, for safety and hygiene reasons, the systems are not used in all ports and sea areas, Ambassador continued.

“Like most ships, we use shore supplies to supplement our stock on board to maintain normal services. While the ship remains perfectly safe and sanitary, we would have needed to ask everyone onboard to conserve water if we were to continue,” the company added.

“To avoid this possibility and to maintain standards of comfort, we have changed the order of our calls at Fowey and Portland to allow us to take on more fresh water supplies in good time.”

Offering an 11-night cruise to the British Isles, the Ambition made a visit to Dundee and was scheduled to sail to Cork, Scilly, Fowey, and Portland on July 23, 24, 25 and 26, respectively.

The itinerary will now be offered in a reversed order, with the visit to Portland set for July 25 and to Fowey set for July 26. The Ambition is also set to visit Cherbourg and Honfleur, France, before returning to Newcastle.

“We are very sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause our guests onboard Ambition. Your safety and comfort are always our top priority and this alteration will allow us to maintain normal stocks of fresh water and avoid potential restrictions,” Ambassador said.

The company also advised guests that shore excursions in the affected ports are being revised due to the change.

“Our Destinations Experience team is working closely with our local agents in Fowey and Portland to secure tours for our revised itinerary,” Ambassador added.